Conditions of access

To apply for microdata, a data request has to be submitted to the Crossroads Bank for Social Security. The Crossroads Bank then investigates whether this request furthers the ‘knowledge, conception and management of social security’. Subsequently, the Crossroads Bank investigates whether the request is technically and organisationally feasible. The researchers applying for the data are informed about the Crossroads Bank’s decision within two months.
In a next step, the Crossroads Bank submits the data request to the Privacy Commission (i.e. Commission for the protection of privacy [Commissie voor de bescherming van de persoonlijke levenssfeer / Commission de la protection de la vie privée]), and more specifically to the subcommittee on Social Security & Health [Comité Sociale Zekerheid and Gezondheid / Comité Sécurité Sociale and Santé], that meets once a month. The Privacy Commission investigates whether the data request is in line with privacy legislation. If the Privacy Commission believes this is so, the data request still has to be authorised by the Crossroad Bank’s Management Committee [Beheerscomité / Comité de Gestion]. In practice, however, this committee follows the Privacy Commission’s advice. Within a month after the decision of the Management Committee, the Crossroads Bank provides a plan with regard to the delivery of the data. Once a contract is set up between the institute requesting the data and the Crossroads Bank, the institute has to notify the Privacy Commission.
No fixed prices are available. From our experience, however, we know that most data requests cost between €2,000 and €3,000. If the data are linked to data that are not available in the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection (e.g. survey data or other administrative data such as fiscal data), the data request is substantially more expensive.
Aggregate tables using the data from the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection can be generated using online modules available on the Crossroad Bank’s website (cf. supra). These modules can be used freely and without any cost. The website is only available in French or in Dutch.

Time elapsed between application and reception of data

Anonymised microdata are available for a period of up to 6 months after the application.
Aggregate tables using the data from the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection are immediately available.

Conditions of access

To apply for microdata, a data request has to be submitted to the Crossroads Bank for Social Security. The Crossroads Bank then investigates whether this request furthers the ‘knowledge, conception and management of social security’. Subsequently, the Crossroads Bank investigates whether the request is technically and organisationally feasible. The researchers applying for the data are informed about the Crossroads Bank’s decision within two months.
In a next step, the Crossroads Bank submits the data request to the Privacy Commission (i.e. Commission for the protection of privacy [Commissie voor de bescherming van de persoonlijke levenssfeer / Commission de la protection de la vie privée]), and more specifically to the subcommittee on Social Security & Health [Comité Sociale Zekerheid and Gezondheid / Comité Sécurité Sociale and Santé], that meets once a month. The Privacy Commission investigates whether the data request is in line with privacy legislation. If the Privacy Commission believes this is so, the data request still has to be authorised by the Crossroad Bank’s Management Committee [Beheerscomité / Comité de Gestion]. In practice, however, this committee follows the Privacy Commission’s advice. Within a month after the decision of the Management Committee, the Crossroads Bank provides a plan with regard to the delivery of the data. Once a contract is set up between the institute requesting the data and the Crossroads Bank, the institute has to notify the Privacy Commission.
No fixed prices are available. From our experience, however, we know that most data requests cost between €2,000 and €3,000. If the data are linked to data that are not available in the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection (e.g. survey data or other administrative data such as fiscal data), the data request is substantially more expensive.
Aggregate tables using the data from the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection can be generated using online modules available on the Crossroad Bank’s website (cf. supra). These modules can be used freely and without any cost. The website is only available in French or in Dutch.

Time elapsed between application and reception of data

Anonymised microdata are available for a period of up to 6 months after the application.
Aggregate tables using the data from the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection are immediately available.

Conditions of access

To apply for microdata, a data request has to be submitted to the Crossroads Bank for Social Security. The Crossroads Bank then investigates whether this request furthers the ‘knowledge, conception and management of social security’. Subsequently, the Crossroads Bank investigates whether the request is technically and organisationally feasible. The researchers applying for the data are informed about the Crossroads Bank’s decision within two months.
In a next step, the Crossroads Bank submits the data request to the Privacy Commission (i.e. Commission for the protection of privacy [Commissie voor de bescherming van de persoonlijke levenssfeer / Commission de la protection de la vie privée]), and more specifically to the subcommittee on Social Security & Health [Comité Sociale Zekerheid and Gezondheid / Comité Sécurité Sociale and Santé], that meets once a month. The Privacy Commission investigates whether the data request is in line with privacy legislation. If the Privacy Commission believes this is so, the data request still has to be authorised by the Crossroad Bank’s Management Committee [Beheerscomité / Comité de Gestion]. In practice, however, this committee follows the Privacy Commission’s advice. Within a month after the decision of the Management Committee, the Crossroads Bank provides a plan with regard to the delivery of the data. Once a contract is set up between the institute requesting the data and the Crossroads Bank, the institute has to notify the Privacy Commission.
No fixed prices are available. From our experience, however, we know that most data requests cost between €2,000 and €3,000. If the data are linked to data that are not available in the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection (e.g. survey data or other administrative data such as fiscal data), the data request is substantially more expensive.
Aggregate tables using the data from the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection can be generated using online modules available on the Crossroad Bank’s website (cf. supra). These modules can be used freely and without any cost. The website is only available in French or in Dutch.

Time elapsed between application and reception of data

Anonymised microdata are available for a period of up to 6 months after the application.
Aggregate tables using the data from the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection are immediately available.

Coverage

Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes

First year of collection

Information on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of industrial accidents: 1999. Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of an occupational diseases: 2001.

Base used for sampling

Population dataset; no sample

Geographical coverage and breakdowns

Breakdown by region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels Capital Region), by province, by municipality and by district.

Age range

The total population is covered.

Statistical representativeness

Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics

The DWH LM & SP is the most important dataset to study social systems and welfare in Belgium.
Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of industrial accidents are provided by the Fund for Industrial Accidents [Fonds voor Arbeidsongevallen / Fonds des accidents du travail]). The following information is available:
- level of the benefit
- information on the industrial accident that has taken place (e.g. place, type of accident)
- information on the resulting injury
- information on the beneficiary
- period of incapacity from work
Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of an occupational disease are provided by the Occupational Diseases Fund [Fonds voor Beroepsziekten / Fonds des maladies professionnelles]. The following information is available:
- level of the benefit
- information on the disease
- period of incapacity from work

Coverage

Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes

First year of collection

Information on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of industrial accidents: 1999. Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of an occupational diseases: 2001.

Base used for sampling

Population dataset; no sample

Geographical coverage and breakdowns

Breakdown by region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels Capital Region), by province, by municipality and by district.

Age range

The total population is covered.

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics

The DWH LM & SP is the most important dataset to study social systems and welfare in Belgium.
Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of industrial accidents are provided by the Fund for Industrial Accidents [Fonds voor Arbeidsongevallen / Fonds des accidents du travail]). The following information is available:
- level of the benefit
- information on the industrial accident that has taken place (e.g. place, type of accident)
- information on the resulting injury
- information on the beneficiary
- period of incapacity from work
Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of an occupational disease are provided by the Occupational Diseases Fund [Fonds voor Beroepsziekten / Fonds des maladies professionnelles]. The following information is available:
- level of the benefit
- information on the disease
- period of incapacity from work

Coverage

Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes

First year of collection

Information on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of industrial accidents: 1999. Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of an occupational diseases: 2001.

Base used for sampling

Population dataset; no sample

Geographical coverage and breakdowns

Breakdown by region (Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels Capital Region), by province, by municipality and by district.

Age range

The total population is covered.

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics

The DWH LM & SP is the most important dataset to study social systems and welfare in Belgium.
Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of industrial accidents are provided by the Fund for Industrial Accidents [Fonds voor Arbeidsongevallen / Fonds des accidents du travail]). The following information is available:
- level of the benefit
- information on the industrial accident that has taken place (e.g. place, type of accident)
- information on the resulting injury
- information on the beneficiary
- period of incapacity from work
Data on employees incapacitated from work as a consequence of an occupational disease are provided by the Occupational Diseases Fund [Fonds voor Beroepsziekten / Fonds des maladies professionnelles]. The following information is available:
- level of the benefit
- information on the disease
- period of incapacity from work

Linkage

Standardisation

NACE-coding is used (i.e. statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community, developed by Eurostat)

Possibility of linkage among databases

The National Register number is integrated in all administrative datasets. In this way, information available in the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection can be linked to data from the National Register [Rijksregister / Registre National], containing additional information on personal and household characteristics.
As many other administrative datasets and survey datasets contain National Register numbers, it becomes possible to link the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection data to several other datasets. In this regard, it is important to notice that the Privacy Commission has stated under what conditions survey data from Statistics Belgium can be linked to the Data Warehouse.

Linkage

Standardisation

NACE-coding is used (i.e. statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community, developed by Eurostat)

Possibility of linkage among databases

The National Register number is integrated in all administrative datasets. In this way, information available in the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection can be linked to data from the National Register [Rijksregister / Registre National], containing additional information on personal and household characteristics.
As many other administrative datasets and survey datasets contain National Register numbers, it becomes possible to link the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection data to several other datasets. In this regard, it is important to notice that the Privacy Commission has stated under what conditions survey data from Statistics Belgium can be linked to the Data Warehouse.

Linkage

Standardisation

NACE-coding is used (i.e. statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community, developed by Eurostat)

Possibility of linkage among databases

The National Register number is integrated in all administrative datasets. In this way, information available in the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection can be linked to data from the National Register [Rijksregister / Registre National], containing additional information on personal and household characteristics.
As many other administrative datasets and survey datasets contain National Register numbers, it becomes possible to link the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection data to several other datasets. In this regard, it is important to notice that the Privacy Commission has stated under what conditions survey data from Statistics Belgium can be linked to the Data Warehouse.

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable

General information on data quality of the DWH LM&SP:
Data quality is high. However, given the detail of the information, data cleaning is far from straightforward and requires a thorough understanding of Belgian social security.
Given the complexity of the recoding that is needed to make the data available for scientific research, errors can occur. These errors can be adjusted in collaboration with the Crossroads Bank for Social Security.
Changes in legislation and registration can impact the content of the variables.
Specific information related to the study of industrial accidents and occupational diseases:
An important limitation is that at this moment, information on those permanently incapacitated from work is not available, the reason being that these data are dispersed over various private insurers. However, they will be available from 2014 onwards.
Industrial accidents or occupational diseases insurance is not part of social security for the self-employed. For civil servants, the period of absence following work incapacity cannot be distinguished from periods worked.

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable

General information on data quality of the DWH LM&SP:
Data quality is high. However, given the detail of the information, data cleaning is far from straightforward and requires a thorough understanding of Belgian social security.
Given the complexity of the recoding that is needed to make the data available for scientific research, errors can occur. These errors can be adjusted in collaboration with the Crossroads Bank for Social Security.
Changes in legislation and registration can impact the content of the variables.
Specific information related to the study of industrial accidents and occupational diseases:
An important limitation is that at this moment, information on those permanently incapacitated from work is not available, the reason being that these data are dispersed over various private insurers. However, they will be available from 2014 onwards.
Industrial accidents or occupational diseases insurance is not part of social security for the self-employed. For civil servants, the period of absence following work incapacity cannot be distinguished from periods worked.

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable

General information on data quality of the DWH LM&SP:
Data quality is high. However, given the detail of the information, data cleaning is far from straightforward and requires a thorough understanding of Belgian social security.
Given the complexity of the recoding that is needed to make the data available for scientific research, errors can occur. These errors can be adjusted in collaboration with the Crossroads Bank for Social Security.
Changes in legislation and registration can impact the content of the variables.
Specific information related to the study of industrial accidents and occupational diseases:
An important limitation is that at this moment, information on those permanently incapacitated from work is not available, the reason being that these data are dispersed over various private insurers. However, they will be available from 2014 onwards.
Industrial accidents or occupational diseases insurance is not part of social security for the self-employed. For civil servants, the period of absence following work incapacity cannot be distinguished from periods worked.

Applicability

Strengths:
The typical strengths associated with administrative data apply. The use of administrative data is cost-effective, data quality is high, non-response is inexistent, etc. Specifically for life-course researchers, there are several added advantages, such as lack of attrition in between waves, lack of memory bias, etc.
Typical for the Belgian situation is that all administrative datasets contain the National Register number and can therefore accurately be linked.
Weaknesses:
Apart from the typical weaknesses of administrative data (e.g. lack of data on opinions, motivations etc.), the following problems can be mentioned:
(1) There is no information on educational levels;
(2) Due to an evolution in register systems, the data contain some statistical breaks;
(3) Data on personal and household characteristics only become available with a three year time lag;
(4) Information on the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection is only available in French and Dutch;
(5) Belgian social security is extremely complex. As a consequence, the data that follow from it are also highly technical. This means that it is almost impossible to use the data without thorough and detailed knowledge of the Belgian social security system. We therefore strongly advise foreign researchers to collaborate with Belgian research teams that have experience with the data.

Applicability

Strengths:
The typical strengths associated with administrative data apply. The use of administrative data is cost-effective, data quality is high, non-response is inexistent, etc. Specifically for life-course researchers, there are several added advantages, such as lack of attrition in between waves, lack of memory bias, etc.
Typical for the Belgian situation is that all administrative datasets contain the National Register number and can therefore accurately be linked.
Weaknesses:
Apart from the typical weaknesses of administrative data (e.g. lack of data on opinions, motivations etc.), the following problems can be mentioned:
(1) There is no information on educational levels;
(2) Due to an evolution in register systems, the data contain some statistical breaks;
(3) Data on personal and household characteristics only become available with a three year time lag;
(4) Information on the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection is only available in French and Dutch;
(5) Belgian social security is extremely complex. As a consequence, the data that follow from it are also highly technical. This means that it is almost impossible to use the data without thorough and detailed knowledge of the Belgian social security system. We therefore strongly advise foreign researchers to collaborate with Belgian research teams that have experience with the data.

Applicability

Strengths:
The typical strengths associated with administrative data apply. The use of administrative data is cost-effective, data quality is high, non-response is inexistent, etc. Specifically for life-course researchers, there are several added advantages, such as lack of attrition in between waves, lack of memory bias, etc.
Typical for the Belgian situation is that all administrative datasets contain the National Register number and can therefore accurately be linked.
Weaknesses:
Apart from the typical weaknesses of administrative data (e.g. lack of data on opinions, motivations etc.), the following problems can be mentioned:
(1) There is no information on educational levels;
(2) Due to an evolution in register systems, the data contain some statistical breaks;
(3) Data on personal and household characteristics only become available with a three year time lag;
(4) Information on the Data Warehouse Labour Market and Social Protection is only available in French and Dutch;
(5) Belgian social security is extremely complex. As a consequence, the data that follow from it are also highly technical. This means that it is almost impossible to use the data without thorough and detailed knowledge of the Belgian social security system. We therefore strongly advise foreign researchers to collaborate with Belgian research teams that have experience with the data.